Insurance

Make sure you have the right insurance before you leave your home country

All students are obliged to have sufficient medical insurance before they come to the Netherlands. This means that medical expenses should be covered up until cost price in the Netherlands. In addition to coverage for medical expenses, TU Delft requires you to have insurance for personal liability, also called third party insurance for private individuals. In general your insurance needs to start on the day you leave your home country.

Which health insurance you need depends on several things; where you come from (EU/ Non-EU), how long you are going to stay, if you are getting a part time job or paid internship.

Non-EU residents need to meet the requirements for insurance determined by the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) in order to receive a residence permit. This is in addition to the TU Delft requirements which include having sufficient coverage for medical expenses and a liability insurance.

If you are a EU/EFTA resident you might have an insurance plan in your home country. You need to check yourself (with your insurance company) if your insurance is valid for your entire stay in the Netherlands and if your insurance cover is sufficient.

In some countries you can apply for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). With this card you can prove that you have insurance for emergency care in the Netherlands in case you need it. TU Delft requires you to have a liability insurance in addition to a sufficient medical insurance.

!Note: Please be aware that medical costs can be more expensive in the Netherlands compared to your home country. You might not fully be reimbursed for costs. In addition, you are not covered for any additional coverage (dental, physiotherapy, liability etc.).

Dutch legislation on Health Insurance

If you officially live in the Netherlands and you don’t have a part-time job or paid internship alongside your studies you are not obliged to take out Dutch basic health insurance. In fact it is not even possible to apply for Dutch basic health insurance. Private health insurance companies offer insurance products especially designed for international students.

If you have a part-time job alongside your studies or a paid internship you are obligated to have Dutch basic health insurance. Whether or not you pay taxes is irrelevant. More information is available on Delftulip after admission.

Medical care

A general practitioner (GP) or “Huisarts” is the first stop on your way to receive medical treatment in the Netherlands. He or she is a collector of your medical information, and therefore the only one in the medical system who has contact with all the medical institutions you might visit. Without a referral note from your GP, it is very hard to make an appointment with a specialist and without the referral note, your insurance company might not reimburse you.

We recommend you to visit the website of SGZ (Studenten Gezondheids Zorg) to find your nearest GP.

Visit to hospital In the Netherlands you can only visit the hospital after a referral note from the general practitioner or in the case of a sudden emergency.

For an emergency situation call 112 (ambulance, fire brigade, police)

PharmaciesMedicines are available from a pharmacy (apotheek) or drugstore (drogisterij) either over the counter (unrestricted) or on prescription from a doctor (restricted).